In the summer of 2016, I was serving on staff at a large United Methodist Church in downtown Raleigh, N.C., while attending Duke University Divinity School. One day I walked into the senior pastor’s office to speak to him on an issue I was working on. I had great enthusiasm for the project at hand, and I’d even developed a list of people to email to request their support either through their generous charity or volunteer support.
I proudly presented the list to the senior pastor and asked for his green-light to begin composing emails. The pastor scanned the list and said, “This is great. When are you visiting with these people to ask them for their support?”
Rob Lee
I responded that I planned to head back to my office now and send the appropriate messages. The senior pastor shook his head and said, “I hope I can impart to you the importance of showing up. They can easily discard or decline your email. People have a much more difficult time saying no when you’re in their home or office saying that the church needs their particular help.”
That lesson has stuck with me, and it rings all too true for the situation in Western North Carolina these past few weeks since Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc in the region.
Besides being a pastor and public theologian, I also work the night shift at a local hotel. I can’t sleep most nights, so I figure I might make a few bucks and enjoy the hotel discount. After the hurricane ravaged parts of North Carolina at the end of September, I was thrust into the world of coordinating rooms for FEMA and other government officials staying at our hotel.
“Every morning as I drive my kids to school, I see caravans of FEMA trucks being escorted up the mountain by local police forces.”
Every morning as I drive my kids to school, I see caravans of FEMA trucks being escorted up the mountain by local police forces. Just this past Friday, I was in Asheville and witnessed a gaggle of FEMA officials guiding donations and support to those who need it most.
To suggest that FEMA or the government response from the federal level has been missing, absent or inadequate is a flat-out fabrication. Many who are sharing these posts, videos or ideas without vetting their facts first are engaging in a full-fledged misinformation campaign aimed at attacking the public servants and their superiors who are doing all in their power to support those in need.
According to Politico, FEMA spent more than half of its annual budget for the fiscal year in eight days on hurricane response to Milton and Helene. In my own work of public theology and correspondence with senior White House officials, I know they have been focused on those hurting in our country right now with a laser focus.
There have been droves of volunteers and donations of material goods and monetary gifts to support the region. Still, the overwhelming conservative response has been to accuse FEMA of only supporting folks in need with $750, which to be clear is an initial payment for immediate needs of families devastated by the disaster.
More perniciously, there has been a streak of nationalism in suggesting that aid doled out over the years to places like the Middle East and Ukraine is taking away from the needs of those in rural communities in North Carolina. Comparing committed foreign aid to domestic policy regarding a national disaster is like comparing apples to oranges; it’s never wise to do so.
This misinformation has real-life consequences. Just this past weekend, a man was arrested for his threatening of FEMA officials. The threats were so efficacious that they caused FEMA to adjust their response to keep themselves and their teams safe.
People’s livelihoods are on the line, and the misinformation being peddled at all levels is going to end up costing us so much.
“We need to show up and stand up against misinformation in this moment.”
All this may seem overwhelming, yet the calling for us is clear. We need to show up and stand up against misinformation in this moment. The ministry of showing up suggests we refute ideas and notions that are contrary to vetted facts. It means joining President Biden’s call for Congress to return to session to approve an infusion of funds to FEMA’s budget. Showing up means remembering Western North Carolina in your prayers, your concern and your charity.
Showing up means we confront both social media warriors and politicians alike who seek to divide us.
What has convinced me most of the goodness of humanity has been our ability to overcome differences and polarization to do what needs to be done for people in need. This moment of need is no different.
May we be worthy of this moment. May we continually show up today and in the days to come as those whose lives were forever changed by this storm. May we show up because that’s where ministry and support take root.
Robert W. Lee is a pastor and public theologian living in North Carolina. He is the author of six books and has preached across the world in large churches and small churches alike. Find him a www.roblee4.com.
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